41-Year-Old High School Secretary Accused of Having Sex With Student

HAINES CITY | A 41-year-old Landmark Christian High School secretary was arrested Tuesday on charges of five counts of unlawful sex with a minor.

Trina Rocker, 4651 Hinson Ave., Haines City, was booked into the Polk County Jail on no bond.

Polk County Sheriff's Office detectives arrived after school had dismissed Tuesday and arrested Rocker in the high school office.

Rocker had engaged in a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student from the high school from November 2011 to May 2012, according to a Polk County Sheriff's Office report.

The victim's parents discovered the relationship and confronted the victim who admitted the sexual encounters occurred while he was a student at the school, according to the report. The victim no longer has contact with Rocker, it said.

Steven Carter, co-pastor of Landmark Baptist Church with his father, Mickey, said Rocker resigned her position effective immediately Tuesday when the arrest occurred.

"It was the first we knew anything," Carter said Wednesday. "We are cooperating with the Sheriff's Office and the Department of Children and Families to the best of our ability. We were all shocked, disappointed and blindsided but we're working through it."

Carter said Rocker was starting her third year as the high school secretary, where her husband is the athletic director. Rocker's son graduated from the school and her daughter is still a student there.

Carter said the school does background checks on all faculty and staff members as required by law and does more than is expected. The school also has a Facebook policy, which does not allow teachers to be friends with students.

"We require all our employees to sign an affidavit of good moral character, which is notarized, agreeing that they will not engage in inappropriate relationships," he said. "This goes against everything we teach and stand for."

Donna Wood, the Sheriff's Office public information officer, said Wednesday she had no information of other victims but encouraged anyone with information to come forward.

Carter said the church is ready to provide whatever help is necessary to help students and faculty.

"We pledge our support to anybody and everybody who needs it," Carter said.

He said the church also hurts for the families involved.

"I think people forget how their personal decisions affect so many others," he said. "We will do everything we can not to have history repeat itself."